ok, suggestions!
Hi shadowkat…ok here are some idea’s:
The main goal behind these tips are to minimize the amount of submixes and mics you are using, but maximize the amount of tracks you are recording at once with the fostex. It’s kind of a less-is-more approach, and in this case could give you more flexibility at mixdown for the best sound. In this case, im assuming some of your drum mic’s are condensers and need phantom power, and im also assuming a few things about your mixers (more below).
The overview:
Guitar – Mic into VF
BASS – line in into VF
DRUMS – 3 mics only; each mic has it’s own fader/input
VOCAL 1 – mic into VF
VOCAL 2 – mic into VF
VOCAL 3 – mic into VF
With more detail:
GUITAR – mic that cab with whatever get’s the sound you like. Plug the XLR into one of the XLR-1/4 transformer’s you have (should be a impedance matching, LowZ to HiZ connector), and hook it up to track 1 on the VF.
BASS – I think you line-in set-up as previously described works – do it so you have one 1 / 4 input plugged into track 2 on the VF.
DRUMS – you got options here to match to your situation. I would recommend only using 3 mics, and avoid submixing – it can work just fine (submixing)– but you MUST get it right the first time and now that it will work in the mix – a challenging thing for us beginners. The aim is to get 3 superior sounding, independent tracks recorded to your VF that gives you flexibility later on. You can use an overhead mic, a snare mic, and a kick drum mic. Or, two overheads and a kick drum mic. If you’ve never done it before, and this will be a live run through of your set, I might opt for the overhead, snare kick setup. Put your condensor over the kit, play, and get a good balanced view of the cybals/toms. Plug this mic into the XLR input (track8) of the VF, which has phantom power. Take the snare, and run that through the other XLR-1/4 transformer – put that into, say, track 3 on the VF. OK – kick drum – watch out! – Assuming you are doing everything within the VF – post recording – realize that the low EQ control blows on the VF. Take the kick mic, put it into one of those mixers, say the Behringer. On the Behring. Mixer, pan that input HARD left. Then take the left output of the mixer, and plug it into input 4 on the VF – Basically, you are using the mixer as an XLR-1/4 adapter, and you can do this by putting only 2 mic’s into it, panning them hard left and right, and taking the LEFT and RIGHT outputs into the VF as separate inputs. Get that Bass guitar and kick working now, at this stage! – If need be, play with the kick drum mic placement, and do some subtractive EQ work on the mixer to cut out the crap you don’t need – the VF EQ wont let you do this later.
Vocal 1, 2, 3 – Same deal as the kick drum. Using the mixers, plug those in, and pan hard right or left. Using the LEFT and RIGHT outputs, insert those signals into the VF, so they get recorded separately.
Ok, so now, you should have everything you need to be recording plugged in, and you will be utilizing all 8 input tracks on the VF. You don’t have to restrict yourself to the example I wrote above especially if you want to add effects while tracking (I might be inclined to not worry about the effects while recording, simplify, and use the VF’s effects later)– just use the principles- using those mixers as ‘XLR-1/4 adapters with EQ capability’, and have fun…
T
